Recently, the technique for digitizing, compressing and transmitting the information has been put to practical use. This enables musical numbers for e.g., 100 channels to be broadcast to respective households via a broadcasting satellite, so that the households can suitably select and enjoy desired musical numbers.
In making this broadcast, a large number of musical information items need to be recorded on a recording medium in advance. The musical information items recorded thereon are optionally read out for broadcast.
However, if the information of the numerous channels it to be transmitted, the CDs are reproduced on 100 compact disc players, and the resulting reproduced outputs are encoded by 100 encoders to generate data to be broadcast for temporary recording the generated data on a recording medium. This recording medium is reproduced for broadcast. Thus, for making this broadcast, it is necessary to prepare in advance a large number of magnetic tapes having the musical information for 100 channels recorded thereon.
The result is that significant time and labor are consumed for broadcasting the musical information for 100 channels, such that it is difficult to make automatic and efficient broadcast by a smaller number of operators. Moreover, it is not that easy to change the broadcast contents arbitrarily.
That is, since it is now possible to broadcast the information over a large number of channels, the information programming operation also needs to be carried out efficiently prior to broadcasting the information. However, in a conventional programming apparatus, the information programming operation is time-consuming such that it is difficult to edit the information over numerous channels in a short time.
Moreover, in a conventional broadcasting system, simply musical numbers are broadcast, such that it is difficult to broadcast the resources of the musical numbers in an organically coordinated form suitable for live broadcast.
In addition, since the information can now be broadcast over an extremely large number of channels, the entire system is affected significantly by malfunctioning of a sole apparatus. Thus, there arises the necessity for promptly finding and repairing an apparatus that is in disorder.
If the number of channels is increased, the capacity of the recording medium is necessarily increased, as a result of which the apparatus is increased in size and cost.